DCNS floats the sixth FREMM frigate

DCNS has floated the French Navy’s FREMM multi-mission frigate Auvergne in Lorient. The achievement took place on 2 September and marks an important step in the construction of the most modern front-line ship of the 21st century.

The FREMM Auvergne is the sixth frigate in the programme and fourth of the series ordered by OCCAri on behalf of the DGA (the French defence procurement agency) for the French Navy.

FREMM Auvergne

With three FREMMs currently under construction in DCNS’ Lorient site, DCNS is accelerating the production speed in order to deliver six FREMMs to the French Navy before mid-2019. Two additional frigates equipped with strengthened anti-aircraft capacities will be delivered before 2022. Two further units have also been sold to international clients; The Royal Moroccan Navy and the Egyptian Navy.

“The floating of the FREMM Auvergne, after the delivery of the FREMM Tahya Misr to the Egyptian Navy and the delivery of the FREMM Provence in June, demonstrate DCNS’s ability to successfully achieve a serial production”, explains Anne Bianchi, FREMM Programme Director at DCNS. “DCNS is doing everything in its power to satisfy its clients, the OCCAr, the DGA and the French Navy by delivering these last six frigates before mid-2019.”

DCNS commenced construction of the FREMM Auvergne in August 2012. This new-generation frigate will be operated by an optimised crew of 108 (half that required for the frigates of the previous generation). Delivery of the FREMM Aquitaine, the first multi-mission frigate to be built for the French Navy, was taken by OCCAR on 23 November 2012 on behalf of the DGA.

Four surface ships currently being produced at DCNS Lorient

The floating of the FREMM Auvergne is being celebrated while the FREMM programme is progressing at an accelerated speed on the DCNS site in Lorient. Three FREMM frigates are currently under construction for the French Navy. The Lorient teams are also mobilised for the construction of the first GOWIND® corvette for the Egyptian Navy:

FREMM technical characteristics

Under the project management of DCNS, the heavily-armed FREMM frigates are equipped with the most effective weapon systems and hardware, such as the Héraclès multifunctional radar, the Naval Cruise Missile, the Aster and Exocet MM 40 missiles and the MU 90 torpedoes.

• Total length: 142 metres

• Width: 20 metres

• Displacement: 6,000 tonnes

• Maximum speed: 27 knots

• Crew: 108 persons (including the helicopter detachment)

• Accommodation capacity: 145 men and women

• Range: 6,000 nautical miles at 15 knots

Upcoming FREMM milestones

The FREMM Aquitaine, first in series, delivered in 2012.

The FREMM Mohammed VI, delivered to the Royal Moroccan Navy in 2014.

The FREMM Provence delivered in June 2015.

The FREMM Tahya Misr, delivered to the Egyptian Navy in July 2015.

The FREMM Languedoc will perform its first sea outing in autumn 2015.

The FREMM Auvergne, floated today.

The FREMM Bretagne is currently being assembled.

iOCCAR: the Organisation for Joint Armaments Operations, is an international organisation whose core-business is the through-life management of cooperative defence equipment programmes entrusted to it by the Member States. It ensures, amongst other things, the project management for the multi-mission frigates intended for France and Italy.